Seed-planter.



I.v D. UANTRELL.

sm) PLANTBR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5, 1913. 1, 1 O8, 1 30, Patented Aug. 25, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEYS rHE Nam'nu PETERS Co., FHcTO-LlTHo.. WASHINGTON. D4 L:

I. D. ANTRELL.

SEED PLANTBR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5, 1913, 1, 1 O8, 1 80. Patented Aug. 25, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN VEN 70H fifa/niza ZZ.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC D. CANTRELL, OF AUBREY, TEXAS.

SEED-PLANTER.

T0 all Lv/0m it may concern Be it known that I, ISAAC D. CANTRELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aubrey, in the county of Denton and State of rlexas, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Seed-Planters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful seed planters, and has the nature of an improvement upon the planter covered in my pending application filed Nov. 29th, 1912, under Serial No. 7B-1186.

The principal obj ect of my invention is to provide a planting machine mounted upon a wheeled frame adapted to form a furrow and drop a predetermined quantity of seed at predetermined intervals into the furrow, the seed dropping mechanism being actuated from the axle of the frame.

A further object of my invention is to provide easily adjusted means for varying the intervals between the seed discharging operations.

Finally, the object of my invention is to provide a machine of the character described comprising a novel and highly efficient mechanism for effecting the above mentioned purposes, the construction being extremely simple and durable.

lWith these and various other objects in view, my invention has relation to certain novel features of the construction and operation, an example of which is described in the following specification, and is illus trated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view showing in side elevation a planter in which are embodied the novel features constituting .my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of the same in rear elevation. Fig. 3 is a view drawn to an enlarged scale showing the seed chute and mechanism for controlling the valves or doors thereof removed from the planter frame and in side elevation. Fig. l is a plan view of a portion of the mechanism for controlling the valves or doors of the seed chute. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken upon the line X-X of Fig. 3. i

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate similar parts in all the figures, the numeral 1 denotes the axle and 2 the transporting wheels of my plantel'. The planter' frame 3 is hung at its rear end upon the end portions of the axle by means of brack- Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 5, 1913.

the frame a.

Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

Serial No. 788,259.

ets at, and at its forward end is attached to the tongue 5 as indicated at 6. above the axle, there is mounted a seed can or hopper 7 supported by three bracket members 8 fastened upon the rear end of n Upon the rear end of the frame 3, there is also mounted a post 9 carrying at its upper extremity a drivers seat 10. To the lower portion of the post 9, there is secured a substantially U-shaped bracket 11, one arm of said bracket being preferably clamped to the post 9 as indicated at 11a. Between the two arms of the bracket 11, there is rotatably mounted a gear 12 journaled parallel to the axle 1 in one of the arms as indicated at 12a. Vith the gear 12 there is intermeshed a gear 13 mounted fast upon the axle 1 beneath the seed can. Upon that arm of the bracket 11 which carries the clamping means, there is also mounted a forwardly extending arm 14, pivoted as indicated at 15. The arm 14 is free to undergo a slight angular displacement about its pivoted extremity, this displacement being limited at one side through contact of the arm with a knob 16 integrally formed upon the bracket 11, and being limited at the other side by the gear 12 in a manner presently to be explained. A coiled spring connecting the arm 11 with the knob 15 exerts a pressure upon the arm 14 tending to force the same toward the gear 12. arm 14, there is rigidly mounted a vertical bracket arm 1'? having its upper end portion bent forwardly at a right angle. The

free extremities of the members 14 and 17 furnish bearings for journals formed upon square vertical shaft 18, upon which is loosely mounted a novelly constructed pinion 19, the central aperture of which conforms to the shape of the shaft 18. The pinion 19 is adapted to be adjusted in various positions, in which positions it is supported by a cotter pin 2O which may be introduced into any one of several apertures 21 provided transversely in the shaft 1S. The face of the pinion 19 is formed with a plurality of equally spaced semi-spherical depressions 19 in place of teeth. In each of its positions of adjustment, the depressions 19a of the pinion 19 are adapted to engage with a separate circular series of protuberances L. which are concentrically formed upon that face of the gear 12 to` which the pinion 19 is adjacent. The spring Centr ally A Upon the pivoted end portion of the' 23 serres, during the use ot my planter, to hold the 'pinion lf) pressed firmly against the adjacent tace ot the gear l2, so that the depressions t9 ot said pinion may be properly engaged by a certain series oi said protuheranees 22 rlhe lower end ol the shaft 18 projects downwardly slightly beyond the arm l has connection through a universal jint 2t of a certain bracket, said portions being comiected ily parallel and integral vertical strips 3l. The l Taclret comprising the parts 30 and 3l is secured to a seed chute 32 the rear thereof, the members 3l being respec- 2 tively secured to the side walls of the chute.

rlhe lower end ot the chute 32 is rigidly secured at its trout side to the rear extremity oit' an'iember 33, the securing means being indicated at 34. The fastening means 2e'. serves to holdfthe chute 32 in a substantially vert-ical position. The member 33 has the nature ot a shovel plow standard curved intermediate or' its ends tlnfough a right angle, one oi portions being extended forwardly and the other downwardly. The downwardly turned portion carries upon its extremity a shovel plow 353 which serves to open a small furrow to receive the seed discharged irom the seed chute The ttorward extremity oit the standard 33 is attached to the lower portion of a vertical plow standard 30 carrying a middle breaker 37 upon its lower end. The upper extremity of the standard 3G is mounted upon the rear end of the tongue The middle breaker or double mold-board 37 serres to break the ground in .trout ol" the shovel plow 35, and is commonly used upon planters.

ln the top portion oi the chute 32, there is mounted a short spout 38, which spout is pivoted in the trout part of the chute upon a rod 39 passing through the chute parallel to tl e axle. lnto the spout 38, there projects the lower extremity o't a comparatively long` spout -fl-O teru'iinating at its upper end just beneath the seed can, and adapted to receive the discharge from the seed can. The two spouts 40 and will conduct the seeds from the seed can to the seed chute ln the bottom portion ol'thc chute 32, there .is mounted a valve or door 40, inclined downwardly trom its rear to its torward edge. The valve or door 40 is plyotally mo'lmi'ied at its upper portion by lugs flO) oppositely upon its lateral edges, through which lugs is passed a pintle ll-l parallel to the axle, the extremities oit said pintle being mounted in the side walls oit the chute. ln order to normally hold the valve or door L.l0EL in a, closed position and return it to such a position after haring been opened, a spring -l-3 iscoiled upon the pintle 4l, one end of which spring acts upwardly upon the yrlye or door -ilO1 beneath the same, while the other end o the spring is Vfixed by passing it through au aperture in one of the side `walls of the chute.

ik short distance above the valve or door i0, there is mounted another yalye or door lo similarly inclined, and piyo-tally mounted at its upper extremity by forming lugs 4G oppositely upon the lateral edges of said valve or door, through which lugs, there is passed a. pintle 1li" parallel to the axle and supported by the side walls ot the chute. Upon the under side ot the yalye or door adj acont to the upper edge, there is rigidly mounted a bracket d8, which projects rearwardly just above the upper end of the faire or door 'LOU. The upper edge ot' the 'valve or door -lOa is crimped around a rod "t9, between which rod and the bracket 48 a swinging connection is established by one end portion oit' a member 50 having its other end portion projecting rearwardly through an aperture in the chute 32. rJ'he function of this rearwardly extending portion of the member 50 will presently be explained.

Upon the upper portion of the rear wall of the chute 32, there is mounted a small bracket 50@ upon which is piyoted the upper end oi a bar 5l terminating at its lower end just abore the lower member 30. The bar 5l is formed at its lower end with a laterally projecting portion52 curved slightly toward the chute from its fixed to its free end. To the member 52, there is secured one end of a coiled spring 53, passing through the rear wall ot the chute 32, the other extremity of which is fitted over a knob 54, formed upon the member 50, adjacent to its point of connection with the rod 49. Under normal conditions the spring holds the lower end ot the bar 5l spaced some distance from the chute, this distance being limited by a pin 55 mounted in the rear end of the member 50 and extending behind the lower end of the bar 5l. Opposite the member 52, there is mounted .tast upon the shaft 28 the middle of a transverse arm 56 having two rollers 57 respectively journaled in its extremities. Once in each revolution of the shaft 28, each roller 57 will contact with the member 52, subjecting the member 5l to an angular displacement and placing the spring 53 under compression. Vhen the spring 53 is thus placed under compression, its tendency is to shift the member 50 into the chute, simultaneously opening the valve or door 40a and closing the valve or'door 45. This tendency is temporarily overcome by a latch member 58 of bell-crank shape, pivotally mounted in a slot in the rear wall of the chute upon a small bracket 59 secured to said wall. The latch member 58 has a long upwardly extending arm, contiguous at its extremity with the front face of the bar 5l, and'has a short downwardly inclined arm, which normally engages in a recess 60 in the top edge of the member 50. A wire spring 6l, engaging the long arm of the latch member 58 impresses upon said member a. tendency to angular displacement such as to hold the short arm engaged in the recess 60. But as the bar 5l is moved toward the chute, through contact of one of the rollers 57 with the member 52, the member 58 will be subjected by the bar 51 to an angular displacement such as will dislodge its shorter arm from the recess 60, after the spring 53 has been considerably compressed. The spring 53 will then instantaneously force the doors 4()a and 45 respectively to their opened and closed positions, allowing them to return to their normal positions an instant later when the member 52 is freed from the roller 57 engaging the same.

A mechanism employed to simultaneously produce vertical adjustment of the middle breaker 37, shovel plow 35 and chute 3Q will now be described.

The standard 36 is mounted to slide vertically betweenthe rear end of the tongue 5 and a plate 62 secured thereto. From the top of the standard which projects some distance above the tongue, a pivoted bar 68 extends downward and at its lower endhas pivoted connection with an arm 64 fast upon a rock-shaft 65 transverse of the machine. Upon the rock-shaft is also mounted fast the lower end of a lever 66 by which the rock-shaft may be manually actuated. With.

the lever is correlated the usual means for holding the same adjusted in various 'positions of angular displacement as it is apparent from the foregoing description that the standard 36 and parts carried thereby will be adjusted upwardly or downwardly according as the lever 66 is subjected to a rearward or forward swinging displacement.

The particular construction described and shown for vertically adjusting the parts 87, 35, 32, etc., is not claimed as new, but my invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with some such adjusting mechanism. f

In the operation of my planter, the usual mechanism in the seed-can will, at regular intervals, discharge certain small quantities of seed into the chute 82 through the members 38 and 40. Thus seed will accumulate upon the valve or door 40L until the same undergoes one of its periodic displacements,

permitting the seed to discharge. Thilo the seed is discharging, the valve or door 45 will be closed, catching any seed entering the chute during the momentary opening of the valve or door 40f. The latch mechanism comprising the member 5() and the spring insures a rapid action of the valves or doors 40a and 45 in opening and closing. The mechanism actuating the valves or doors isr such that the time intervals between the discharge of seed will be. practically without variation, so that the seed will be planted at practically equal space intervals. When the lever 66 is manipulated, thechute 32 will be free to shift vertically, since the shaft comprising the parts 25 and Q6 is extensible and the spout 40 may telescope into the pivoted spout 38.

The invention is presented as including all such changes and modifications as properly come within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A seed planter comprising a wheeled frame, a seed-can mounted upon said frame, a seed chute receiving the discharge from the seed-can, valves or doors mounted in the seed chute, a shaft mounted upon the seed chute, a variable speed mechanism communicating a constant rotation from the axle to said shaft during the travel of the planter, an arm transverse with said shaft mounted at its center upon the shaft, rollers mounted in the extremities of said arm and a mechanism correlated with the valves or doors periodically acted upon by said rollers during the rotation of said shaft, actuating the valves or doors.

2. A seed planter comprising a wheeled frame, a seed-can mounted upon said frame, a seed chute receiving the discharge from the seed-can, an upper and a lower valve or door mounted in the bottom portion of the seed chute, the upper valve or door being normally opened and the lower valve or door being normally-closed, a spring tending, under compression, to simultaneously close the upper valve or door and open the lower one, a shaft mounted upon the seed chute, means carried by said shaft for periodically compressing said spring during the rotation of the shaft, means preventing the valves or doors from yielding under said spring until a compression of the same has been effected, and a variable speed mechanism communicating a constant rotation to said shaft from the axle during the travel of the planter.

3. A seed planter comprising a wheeled frame, a seed-can mounted upon said frame, a seed chute receiving the discharge from the seed-can, a pair of valves or doors mounted one above the other in the bottom portion of the seed chute, the upper valve or door being normally opened and the lower latch m ember when the spring is compressed, :1nd a mechanism communicating :i constant rotation to the shaft from the axle during 14:

the travel of the planter.

in testimony whereof have signed my nume to this specication in the presence of two Subscribing Witnesses.

SAAGD. CANTRELL.

Witnesses z iArBnLLn REM/Es, JACK. A. Soi-HEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by yaddressingthe "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 3J. C. 

